Matthew 15 · Verse 24

Matthew 15:24

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:24, King James Version

Matthew 15:24 in other translations

BSBHe answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
WEBBut he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
ASVBut he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
YLTand he answering said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'
DARBYBut he answering said, I have not been sent save to the lost sheep of Israel's house.
BBEBut he made answer and said, I was sent only to the wandering sheep of the house of Israel.
WebsterBut he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

What does Matthew 15:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel--(Also see on Mr 7:26.)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 24. But he answered---I am not sent, etc. This answer was made to the woman, not to the disciples. The lost sheep of the house of Israel were the Jews. He came first to them. He came as their expected Messiah. He came to preach the gospel himself to the Jews only. Afterwards it was preached to the Gentiles; but the ministry of Jesus was confined almost entirely to the Jews.

(q) "I am not sent" Mt 10:5,6, Acts 3:26

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 I am not sent but unto the lost sheep - By the Divine appointment, I am come to preach the Gospel to the Jews only. There are certain preachers who should learn a lesson of important instruction from this part of our Lord's conduct. As soon as they hear of a lost sheep being found by other ministers, they give all diligence to get that one into their fold: but display little earnestness in seeking in the wilderness for those that are lost. This conduct, perhaps, proceeds from a consciousness of their inability to perform the work of an evangelist; and leads them to sit down in the labors of others, rather than submit to the reproach of presiding over empty chapels. Such persons should either dig or beg immediately, as they are a reproach to the pastoral office; for, not being sent of God, they cannot profit the people. The wilderness of this world is sufficiently wide and uncultivated. Sinners abound every where; and there is ample room for all truly religious people, who have zeal for God, and love for their perishing follow creatures, to put forth all their strength, employ all their time, and exercise all their talents, in proclaiming the Gospel of God; not only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but to a lost World. Nor can such exertions be unsuccessful. There the pure truth of God is preached, many will be converted. Where that truth is preached, though with a mixture of error, some will be converted, for God will bless his own truth. But where nothing but false doctrine is preached, no soul is converted: for God will never sanction error by a miracle of his mercy.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 15:21-28

The dark corners of the country, the most remote, shall share Christ's influences; afterwards the ends of the earth shall see his salvation. The distress and trouble of her family brought a woman to Christ; and though it is need that drives us to Christ, yet we shall not therefore be driven from him. She did not limit Christ to any particular instance of mercy, but mercy, mercy, is what she begged for: she pleads…

Read the full comment on Matthew 15:21-28 →

Matthew 15:24 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisansweringG611
εἶπεν·eipenHe said;G2036
οὐκoukNotG3756
ἀπεστάληνapestalēnI was sentG649
εἰeionlyG1487
μὴmēexceptG3361
εἰςeistoG1519
τὰtatheG3588
πρόβαταprobatasheepG4263
τὰtatheG3588
ἀπολωλόταapolōlotaalready perishingG622
οἴκουoikouof [the] houseG3624
Ἰσραήλ.¶Israēlof Israel.G2474

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 15:24

  • Matthew 10:5-6

    These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

  • Romans 15:8

    Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

  • Acts 13:46

    Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

  • Jeremiah 50:6-7

    My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.

  • Ezekiel 34:5-6

    And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

  • Acts 3:25-26

    Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

  • Ezekiel 34:16

    I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

  • Ezekiel 34:23

    And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

  • Isaiah 53:6

    All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

  • Luke 15:4-6

    What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

  • Matthew 9:36

    But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I am not.
9:36; 10:5,6; Isa 53:6; Jer 50:6,7; Eze 34:5,6,16,23; Lu 15:4-6
Ac 3:25,26; 13:46; Ro 15:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 15:23

    But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

  • Matthew 15:24

    But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

  • Matthew 15:25

    Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

Read all of Matthew 15

Matthew 15:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y él respondiendo, dijo: No soy enviado sino á las ovejas perdidas de la casa de Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais lui, répondant, dit: Je ne suis envoyé qu’ aux brebis perdues de la maison d’Israël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber antwortete und sprach: Ich bin nicht gesandt, als nur zu den verlorenen Schafen des Hauses Israel.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ipse autem respondens ait: Non sum missus nisi ad oves, quæ perierunt domus Israël.